Taken
by deanandjo4ever1
Summary: The prison has fallen, and the group is splintered. Merle is on the run with Merle Dixon, after a moment that turned a friendship into more Beth is taken from him. Now Merle must find her and the rest of his family.
1. Taken

A/N: This story started off as one-shot in my Summer Fun series and several people were interested in a continuing story so if you read this on it then you know why. I'm going to do a whole story based on it. Please read, review, and enjoy. METH and CARYL.

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Merle and Beth had been on the run for three days, when they came upon the small house in the woods. Merle wanted to cry in relief because he knew the girl needed some rest, food and water. She had lost weight and he knew that she was extremely dehydrated. Beth sagged in relief as she saw the house. She knew that the house offered shelter and rest and she needed that and it would also give herself some time to process what had happened and maybe she could finally began to grieve some. She had watched her father's murder at the hand of the Governor and it had ripped a piece of her soul from her. She didn't know if she would ever be whole again all she knew was that her father was dead, her sister missing and there was a Judith's car seat full of blood. She pushed the thoughts side of the baby that she had raised and trudged forward they had to reach the safety of the house. She had saw that Merle's side was bleeding and knew that he had been grazed by a bullet and he had lost a lot of blood, whenever she had tried to inspect it he had batted her concerns away telling her it was nothing more than a bug bite.

Merle walked up onto the wrap around porch and tested the door, it was locked. Merle didn't know if that was a good sign or a very bad omen. Merle picked the lock quickly and nodded at Beth, she took up a defensive position on the left side of the door, showing Merle that he had the lead. Merle opened the door slowly and quietly, praying that the house was empty. He stepped cautiously into the living room, scanning over it quickly with his eyes and finding it empty. He motioned for Beth to follow in behind him. "You check the kitchen and I'll take upstairs." Merle told her. Beth nodded at him and put her small pistol away and pulled out the large knife that Merle had given her she waited for a moment until Merle had made it upstairs then she went into the kitchen. She checked and saw that it was clear so she began rummaging in the cabinets for food and water. She was straving and dying for a drink. The cabinets to her delight were stocked and the frig had several bottles of water in it. They had hit a gold mine. She just knew that they could make this the base of their operations and start searching for the others and find what was left of their family. She knew that Merle wanted to find Daryl and Carol as bad as she did Maggie and Glenn.

The upstairs was clear, it didn't even look like a walker had ever even been in the house. Merle's gut told him something was off about this place but he didn't know what, but for the time being it was going to have to do. He needed to tend to the flesh wound he had received and make sure that infection and gain green didn't set it because they had no medicine, he also wanted to start looking for his brother and sister-in-law, he knew that if anyone made it was them. Nothing could kill a Dixon but a Dixon and if he was honest with himself he wanted to get Beth healthier than what she was. Something about that little angel made him want to do what was right. He had liked her from the moment that he had seen her, and wanted her since the moment she had sang, and desired to claim her when she broken up the fight between him and Glenn by shooting a pistol, but most of all he had respected when she had stood up to everyone at the prison for him when he had tried to take the governor out on his own, and now he cared about her because through all the tragedy they had seen in the past week she had stood strong and resilient while they looked for shelter.

Merle walked back down stairs and say that his angel was already fixing lunch for the both of them. She had found them some chili, a rarity now days and some peaches and Merle loved peaches. They were his favorite fruit and always had been. "Looks good little darling." He said smiling at her. "Thanks. I figured you would be hungry and thirsty. There is bottled water in the frig." She said as she went back to stirring the chili trying to make it eatable even though it was cold. "I'm gonna go out and see if maybe there's a generator and gas left in the tank so we can have a hot shower." Merle told her as he grabbed a bottle of water and headed out the back door.

Sure enough in the shed was a generator full of fuel. Merle cranked it and knew that Beth would be happier than a song bird on a bright summer's day. Merle made his way back into the house. Beth was still stirring the chili added spices that she had found. He flipped on the light switch. Beth squealed in happiness and ran and hugged Merle hard. He hugged her back, and he couldn't help but think that she felt completely right in his arms.

Beth went over to the stove and turned it on and began rummaging through the drawers until she found a pan. She was so excited that she was going to actually be able to cook a meal. Merle could hunt while they were here and they could have real food. Beth just knew that this was blessing from God.

Merle went into the living room and pulled off his dirty wife beater and inspected the wound on his right side. The bullet had grazed him and not actually stuck in his body. Merle was thankful for that. He poured some water onto and balled up his shirt and cleaned it. So far the wound wasn't showing any signs of infection and it didn't need stitches, that was a plus. He was going to be swore for a while but as long as he kept it clean it would heal and just be another scar to had to the long list that he already had.

The chili was finally done, Beth divided it into two bowls and placed them on the dinner table, she then divided the can of peaches into two more bowls and placed them on the table. "Merle dinner's ready." Beth called. Merle pulled himself up off the couch thinking that a nice cold beer would be great right about now and lumbered into the kitchen. He sat down at the table and began to eat his meal in companionable silence with the beautiful woman how had fixed it for him. It was almost like a dream. He had never understood how his brother had let himself become a taken man, but setting there at the table eating a cooked meal by a lovely woman was nice and he could see himself settling down with her. "Why don't ya take the first shower darling." Merle offered. "Okay, thank you." Beth replied.

Beth went upstairs and found the bathroom, she needed clean clothes and she knew it, walker guts covered her and she stunk, maybe whoever had lived her before had left some clothing and she could find something that fit her. She went into the first room and found that it was large bedroom and the closet had several sets of clothing in it. She found a man's white button down shirt and a pair of black sweet pants. They would have to do. She went back to the bathroom and started the water,glad to have some hot water to wash with. She undressed and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt amazing on her body, and the stress began to melt away.

Suddenly the events of the past week came slamming into her mind. Her father's head being severed from his body. Judith's bloody carseat. Not being able to find her sister or Glenn. Beth slid down the shower and began to cry, she sobbed so hard that her body shock. She couldn't make herself stand the pain and the misery that she had went through threw her body into shock all she could do was set in the shower and cry.

Beth had been in the shower for several minutes, Merle began to worry, she had once confided in him that she had attempted to take her life at her father's farm. She had taken her large knife with her. Fear took a hold of Merle in a way that he had never know the thought of Beth bleeding to death at the her own hands in the shower upstairs gripped him. He quickly made his way up the stairs, he threw open the bathroom door expecting the worst, but what he say broke his heart. Beth was trembling in the shower, the water had ran cold. Merle quickly turned off the water, and pulled a shivering, sobbing Beth into his arms and began to rock her. She cried all of her pain and anguish out on his broad chest clinging to him as if he was the only real thing left in the world, hell for all she knew he was. "Sssh. Ol' Merle's got ya now ain't nothing gonna hurt ya. Just cry it out little darling." Merle rocked her back in forth stroking her hair and whispering sweet nothings in her ear. He waited till she pulled herself together. "Please don't leave me Merle?" She whispered hoarsely. "I ain't going nowhere darling." Merle helped her get into the shirt and picked her up and carried her to the bed. He laid down with her and held her while she slept. He knew in that moment that he was falling in love with the youngest Greene and there was nothing to do but let it happen.

Merle woke up early the next morning and quietly slipped out of bed. He was going to go hunting and see if he could bag some squirrels maybe even a small doe. He left Beth a note telling her that he would be back.

Beth woke up to an empty bed, and panic began to set in, until she saw the note that Merle had left her. Her heart felt lighter than it had in long time. She went to the bathroom and put on the sweats that she had found the night before and began trying to find something to cook for them for when Merle returned. The front door opened and shut. "I'm in the kitchen Merle." Beth called out. A man she didn't know walked into the kitchen and grinned. "I'm not Merle but I can be." He snarled at her. Beth screamed just as he clubbed her over the head and knocked her unconscious Merle was just a little way out and heard her. He took off at a dead run he reached the house just in time to see a man throw her in a trunk of the car and spun out.


	2. Fear and Anger

A/N This chapter is shorter than I normally write but its just kind of setting the stage for this story, which will have many different twists and turns and will follow our favorite couples METH and CARYL with the rest of our little dysfunctional family.

Merle ran after the car that had taken Beth, but it was in vain. He knew that he had to find her, but the bullet wound on his side and so far the thing wasn't infected and he knew that if infection set in then he wouldn't be good for her or anybody else. Merle screamed in frustration. He had just found her, really found her. They had became friends at the prison, but his feelings for her had been growing and changing for a while and he knew her's had too last night. "Fuck!" How could she be taken from him just like that. Merle stomped off toward the house that was going to be their refuge, he knew it wasn't safe there someone had found it and taken Beth and had seen him so they could come back and try to finish him off, but he needed the supplies that was in the house, food, water, and clothes.

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Beth was disoriented and scared, but she was trying not to cry because that would cause dehydration and she was already hot and sweating locked in the trunk of the car. She didn't know what to do. She had been cooking lunch for her and Merle when someone walked into the house and took her. She had heard Merle scream for her but it was too late, she had already been kidnapped. She prayed that he would find her, surely the moment they had had the night before was enough to make him want to save her. Beth fought back the urge to sob when she felt the car stop. They had arrived somewhere that scarred her. Questions roared in her head, "Where am I? Who took me? Are they going to kill me or worse? Is Merle okay? What if someone was left there to kill him?"

The trunk of the car was opened suddenly and let the sunlight stream in which blinded Beth, when she was able to see she was looking at a man in his late thirties wearing a whit t-shirt and ripped jeans. He grabbed Beth roughly by the arm and jerked her out of the trunk, her right shoulder made a horribly popping sound. Beth screamed, her captor had just dislocated her shoulder. "Shut the fuck up, I already fucked your shoulder up and the boss won't be happy if I miss that pretty little face of your up too, Cunt." The man snarled at her. Beth held in her whimper of fear as he began to tie her hands in front of her, gag her and blindfolded her.

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Merle went up starts and grabbed Beth's backpack, he shoved a new pair clothes in it and headed toward the bathroom, where he grabbed bandages and antibiotic salve to treat his bullet wound, when he heard the front door open. "Good they were stupid enough to send someone after me." Merle thought with a feral grin. He stepped lightly into the hallway and hid in the shadows. They didn't know who they was a messing with. Merle Dixon was one of the best hunter's and tracker's in Georgia.

Nathan didn't waste any preamble he headed up the stairs taking them two at a time. He Jimmy's look-out and he knew that he needed to finish the dumb redneck off soon. They had trapped others at the house that appeared not to have been touched by the end of the world. Normally people never went back in the house, they wondered out into the woods where he would take the others and either kill them or take them back.

"The stupid fuck isn't even trying to be quite." Merle thought sneering into the shadows of where he was hiding. Nathan got to the top landing and threw open the bathroom door. Merle brought the but of his gun down, knocking the man out. He tied him up downstairs in the large coat closet in the living room. He was going to have fun with the bastard then gut him like a damn pig and then he was going to get his angel back and never let her out of his sight.


	3. Reunited Pt 1

A/N: This chapter is going to deviate from our taken girl and our pissed off bear. We have to know what our other couple is up to. So here we go CARYL. This is going to deviate from the the story of season four in a lot of different ways as you can already tell Merle is still alive and with Beth and the way she is taking is different. Mika and Lizzie's story is going to differ as well.

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"Motherfucker." Daryl spat as he heard the sound of yelling and gunshots. He and Carol took off toward the sound. It could be one of their's and in that moment nothing would make him happier than to see either one of his brothers and he knew that Carol was dying to see Carl and Beth. They got close to the railroad tracks and when a single pistol shot was heard somewhere deeper in the woods. "I'll go check it out you go toward the screams." Carol told her man as she quickly kissed him and took off toward the woods.

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Tyresse had heard screams when he left the children by the large oak trees. He was praying that he would be able to find some of their original group, mostly his sister and Rick. He knew if the man had survived he would be extremely distort. Tyresse remembered all to well how the man had been shattered after his wife's death. As he reached the sounds of the fighting he realized that it wasn't any of his group but some poor bastard that had been bitten by a group of walkers. Tyresse's heart sank. He heard the small pistol that he had left in the care Mika go off. He started to head back toward the place where he had left the children. Tyresse wasn't paying attention to where he was running when he ran smack into some on. Tyresse immediately stood at the ready to defend himself, he knew all to well the dangers that this new world could hold.

Daryl was ready to hit whoever had ran into him hard enough to almost knock him over. He didn't even have a chance to register who it was or if they were a threat before he found himself in a bone breaking hug. "Daryl you have no clue how happy I am to see you." Before Daryl could respond Carol walked out of the woods with a huge smile and tears streaming down her face. In her arms was Little Ass Kicker. He had remembered finding her car seat full of blood and he and Carol had cried that night together, then he was assaulted by Mika and Lizzie as they bear hugged him on either side. Tyresse walked over and hugged Carol hard and kissed her on the forehead. Tyresse had never been so happy to see them in his life. Daryl patted each of the girls and gently untangled from them and walked over to his woman and took his niece he thought never to see again in his arms and tears slipped out of the hard man's eyes and he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Judith rewarded him with a giggle. Tyresse had never been so happy to see two people in all of his life. Carol could help take care of the girls and Daryl could provide more protection while they hunted for the rest of their family and with one of the two greatest trackers that he had ever seen they would find them.

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The newly reunited group began to look for a place to make camp as night fell upon them. Daryl scouted a little ahead of the group looking for signs of trouble and a good place to make camp. He found a small clearing and that's where the settled. Daryl began to build a small fire, winter was coming and fast and the temps dropped low when night fell. Everyone sat around the campfire and was telling stories of what they had been through the in the last week since the fall of the prison. Daryl watched as Lizzie secluded herself on a stomp by herself. She seemed really disconnected from the others. The girl had never quite set right with him, but she reminded him so much of Sophia that it broke his heart. Lizzie pulled the knife from her belt, thinking that no one was watching realizing that there was two sets of eyes on her. She quickly stabbed four times and smiled dreamily. Daryl looked over at Carol and they shard a look, he knew in that moment that she had seen it too. Carol and Daryl had talked about Lizzie several times since they had inherited her and her sister from their dead father. "Tyresse why don't you and the girls get some rest. Daryl and I will take first watch L.A here is fighting sleep anyway." Carol said kindly to Tyresse. Tyresse smiled a gratefully at woman. "Come on girls its off to bed." Carol said hugging each of the girls, as they followed Tyresse to the large makeshift tent they had made out of extra clothing.

Daryl got up and went and set by Carol putting his arm around her and kissed her temple then smiled down at Judith and tickled her under her chin. "Did you see Lizzie playing with her knife?" Daryl asked. Carol sighed. "Yes I did and I checked, she killed four baby rabbits Daryl." Daryl's mind went to the rabbit that they had found pinned to the room that Karen had been killed in. He was now glad of the plan he, Merle, Rick, and Carol had came up with saying she had killed Karen and Dave to lure the real killer in to false sense of security then a day latter the Governor had struck. Daryl was beginning to wonder if Lizzie hadn't killed Karen and Dave.

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A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the beginning of Caryl's adventure and next chapter will be all Merle and maybe some Beth. Please read review and enjoy.


	4. Information

A/N: This chapter will contain violence and torture which will be graphic. I'd like to send a shout out to my reviewers Dixon Rocks, Athlete Girl, Vickih, and Texasbelle91for their awesome reviews and support for this story. Thanks Ladies your rock.

Have a great day

Ashe.

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Merle went downstairs and drug the sorry bastard that had been sent to finish him off out of the closet glad to finally get to spend some quality time with him. "Alright you stupid fuck its time for you to start talking." Merle pulled the gag out of his mouth. "Go. Fuck. Yourself. Redneck." The man said, then spat in Merle's face. Merle drew back and hit the man in the mouth as hard as could, satisfied to see the man spit some teeth out. "That was the wrong answer fuck nut." Merle growled. He was going to enjoy this, he was used to having to take the trash out and this was no different. He had once been the man the do the dirty work for the Governor and then for Rick's group. "Now I want to know where you took my girl." Merle snarled, he could feel the demon that had always been in him rise, the demon that feed from violence, drugs, alcohol, and sex, the thing that he wanted to kill for his Beth, but if it meant getting her back alive then he would let the demon out to play. He knew that he would have to keep a reign on it or he would lose it and kill him before found his angel and that he couldn't risk. She was too important to him. Much like he did with Glenn when he was looking for his brother and it had almost lost any chance of reuniting with his brother.

"Were going to try this again you dumb shit. Where did your asshat of a buddy take my woman." The man didn't say anything he just spat at Merle's feet. Merle pulled his knife off his prosthetic and gripped it expertly. He drew it across the man's left check drawing a thin line of blood. "Let's start with something a little easier your fucking name." Merle said calmly, becoming what the Marine's had created. "Your mother's pussy." The man said chuckling. Merle took the tip of his blade and placed it at the top of the cut he had made and dug it in twisting, harder and deeper until he felt the man's check bone underneath, the man let out a bloodcurdling scream but didn't pass out. He definitely had fortitude which would normally impress Merle, but all did now was piss him off. "You think your a hard fucker. Don't ya?" Merle belted the man in the stomach. The man finally passed out from the beating and the cutting. Merle paced the floor back and forth waiting for the sorry fucker to wake back up and trying to rein in the urge to just kill him and be done with it.

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Beth was terrified the man that had dislocated her shoulder and had shoved her down into a dark cellar. She didn't know what was going to happen to her and she was terrified. All she could do was pray. The door to the cellar creaked open and and an older woman came down the stairs. "What's your name child?" She asked with kindness. "Beth." She croaked out. "I'm Mary. I'm gonna put that shoulder back in place for ya, but its gonna hurt something awful. Nathan shouldn't have been so rough with such a delicate thing like you. Garreth ain't gonna like it none." Beth broke into a cold sweat, she had misunderstood the kindness coming from the older woman she was just as sick as the man that had taken her. "I need you to lay down on the bench and hang your arm over the side." Mary instructed. Beth did as she was told, knowing her shoulder needed to be put back in place or her rotator cuff was going to tear and that would mean possibly losing the use of her right arm. Mary grabbed her hand in firm grip then Mary sat down next to her and placed her foot under Beth's armpit and slowly pulled creating steady tension until the shoulder popped back into place. Beth bit back a scream when her arm popped back in place.

"Nathan bring me the ice pack." Mary called out of the cellar. The man that had taken Beth came down the stairs carrying an ice pack with him, he handed to the older woman who placed it on Beth's shoulder. "There you go child that should help with the pain." Mary said with the kindness of a mother. Beth was confused and frightened the man had taken her without regard, injured her and called her names but this woman that was obviously with the group that had taken her, but she was showing Beth the kindness that a mother would hold for a child. The woman reached into the bag that she was carrying with and pulled out a piece of cloth and made a sling for Beth and helped her place her arm in it. "I didn't bring any pain meds with me, because I didn't think Nathan would damage someone as useful as you but as soon as we get back to the compound I'll get you some Vicidian." Mary said, while helping Beth get a drink.

"Where are you taking me?" Beth asked, proud of herself for keeping her voice steady, when she just wanted to scream and cry like a small lost child. "We're taking you back to our community, but first I need to ask you some questions so that I can assess where you will be most needed. Do you think that you can answer them for me?" Mary asked as she shooed the Nathan guy out of the room. "Yes M'am." Beth's heart had dropped when they said they were taking her to a community, it sounded too much like Woodbury for her liking and that was the last type of place she wanted to find herself in. "How old are you?" "Eighteen." Beth answered honestly, watching as Mary recorded her answers in a notebook, that she hadn't notice her pull out. "Are you a virgin or have you been tainted?"

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Merle went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the frig and dumped it on the fucker's head. The man woke with a start. "Ready to try this again you sorry sack of shit." Merle said as he placed a booted foot on the man's knee and began to apply pressure. The man's face paled, feeling the joint give way knowing that it would soon snap. "My name's Jimmy." The man rasped. "Good now were getting somewhere." Merle said giving the man a blood chilling smile. No one realized how easy it was for Merle to become something sinister especially when it came to the ones he cared about.

Merle removed his foot from Jimmy's knee and pulled the knife back off the metal contraption and cut the man's shirt down the middle. "Okay son know lets have some fun. Everytime you don't answer a question right I'm going to cut along rib and when we run out of ribs, I'm gonna start taking fingers at the joint. Understood." Merle asked. "Yes." Jimmy said in a voice laced in pain. "What do you want with my girl?" Merle asked. "You mean that young little thing is yours those tits must look great." Jimmy wheezed out. Merle made a long cut across the man's rib. Jimmy cursed as the cut burned and ached. "What do you want with her?" Merle asked again. "We look for people to take back to Terminus." "What's Terminus?" "Our community." Merle made another cut. "Why do you want with her?" "She will either be given to our leader as a bride, or she will be put in the breeding pen, or traded to another group or if they are too much trouble then they are sent to slaughter for meat." "You sick sorry son of a bitch." Merle growled as he stepped on the man's testicles and grinded until he felt one pop under his boot heel. Jimmy passed out from the extreme pain.

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"Why do you need to know if I've sex or not?" Beth asked barely fighting the panic within her voice. "I have to ask these kind of questions dear, its just normal." Mary replied, hoping she could keep up the kind and caring mask. "I'm still a virgin." Beth answered, her heart sinking further in her chest. "Was there anyone with you when Nathan rescued you?" "Rescued me? He hit me kidnapped me from my friend and then dislocated my shoulder." Beth said her voice rising with each word. "So there was someone male or female?" "Why and the hell do you want to know?" Beth asked with steel in her voice glad that she didn't just crumble and bawl, sometimes the hell that she had been through since the world had went to shit was a blessing because she was no longer a scared of her own shadow teenager but a woman coming into her own, she just hoped that her Daddy was looking down at her and smiling. "Its just a required question." Beth quickly prayed for forgiveness for the lie she was about to spin. "I was with two people, brothers Merle and Daryl Dixon. They were both prisoners at at prison that we lived at before and were in jail for murder but we needed them for our group so we allowed them to join." Beth said meeting the woman's gaze. "Thank you dear, you may rest now." Mary said as she patted Beth's leg and left the small cellar and closed and locked the doors behind her. Beth sat up and went to the doors to try and hear what they were saying and what she heard chilled her to bone and maybe her vomit all at once. "The girl is problems I'm going to recommend her for trade or for meat and such as waste too because she's untouched and so soft." Mary said to Nathan.

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Merle slapped the Jimmy until he woke up. "One more question. How do I find this Terminus?" Merle asked. "Follow the railroad tracks going toward Atlanta, you find it." Merle believed the man, he had beat him, cut him, and busted one of his nuts. Merle pulled his knife off his prosthetic and slammed it into the man's lower stomach and disemboweled the man. Merle grabbed his back pack replaced his knife and headed out the door it was time to get his angel back.

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A/N: Hope you all enjoyed, read and review and let me know what you think and if there is anything special you would like to see, next chapter will find out what Carol and Daryl are up to.


	5. Innocent

A/N: I just wanted to wish everyone a great weekend and hope y'all are beating the heat. Now on to some Caryl. I would also like to think the ladies that have been faithful reviewers of the this story and followed it to where it is from where it started on Summer Fun. You all rock and you know who you are. Caryl on.

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Ashe

Daryl woke early from the make shift tent he Carol and Little Ass Kicker slept. He crept out of the tent not wanting to wake Carol or the baby. He crawled out into the early morning light and the clearing they had found was beautiful the grass was kissed with one of the last dews of the year before winter sat in, if it wasn't the end of the world he could pretend that he was on a camping trip with his wife and the little one. He had never been so grateful to see a child in all of his life as he was when his woman walked out with Judith in her arms. He loved that little girl like she was his own and had helped raise her since the day she was born; hell he had fed her her first bottle. Now only if she could find the little girl's daddy and brother. He walked over to Tyresse stepping on twigs so that the man would hear his approach, not wanting to startle the man. "Hey man why don't you check on the little shits and get some sleep." Daryl said clapping the man on the back. "Sounds like a plan when I wake up in a few hours we can hit the road and try to pick up someone's trail." Tyresse said yawning. "I hear man I want to find my family."

Tyresse went over to the tent that was in between Daryl and Carol's and his to check on Lizzie and Mika. He pulled the makeshift door back to find that both girls were missing. "Daryl!" Daryl rushed over to Tyresse. "God damn it." Daryl hissed. How in the hell did two girls under the age of thirteen sneak out and not wake him or be seen Tyresse. Something felt off; Daryl's heart sunk in his chest. He didn't know how long it had been since they had went missing and he knew their chances of survial were slim to none on their own. Memories slammed into Daryl's mind and heart of looking for Sophia, when she had been right under their noses all alone kept in a barn and bitten; stuck in a state between living and death . He still had nightmares about it and so did Carol; her death though had ultimately brought the two of them together. It had been a rocky start but, it had all been with worth it; he had found his mate. "They can't have gotten too far. I'll wake Carol and we'll start searching." Daryl said as he shook his head. Tyresse began packing up his tent and the girls tent. He had a bad feeling about this and he didn't know how it was going to effect their small little group.

Daryl slowly crawled back into his and Carol's tent dreading the news he was fixing to deliver to Carol. He gently shook her till her beautiful crystal blues eyes met his. She immediately knew something was wrong. "What's happened?" She asked setting straight up. "The girls ran off in the night." Carol placed her hand over her mouth to hold in a sob. "I'll have to feed Jude then we can start looking." Carol said as Daryl picked up LIttle Ass Kicker while Carol began to fix her bottle and get her a clean diaper change.

After getting Jude fed and changed the three adults headed out following the easy trail that Lizzie and Mika had made; they were easy to track, for being so sneaky they didn't cover there tracks well. Judith began to fuss about noon, so they had to stop to feed and change her. Thankfully the little one fell asleep, which made their hike easier. Daryl held up his hand to stop the group with him. The bushes they had came across were severely disturbed and broken; covered with someone's life blood, and there was lot of it. Whoever it belonged to was gravely injured or dead. They broke into a clearing and the sight that met them broke their heart; Mika had turned after being killed by disembowelment and bit Lizzie. Daryl lowered his crossbow and rushed toward her. "Who killed Mika?" He asked while embracing the young girl like a father and stroking her hair; the way he wished he could have embraced Sophia and protected her. "I did Daryl; I wanted to show you that their not dangerous that their people too and now I'm growing to be one." The little girl's words broke the strong hunter's heart; he had known that the little girl's mind was broken but he didn't know how bad. "I killed Karen and Dave too so that they could get better and not suffer anymore, and I made sure that the one's at the fence had food. I took care of them." Lizzie cried to Daryl, all he could do was hold the poor child and rock her. Tyresse snuck up on Mika and put her out of her misery; Carol stood rooted to the spot as she watched two more children that she had sure to protect and care for die. Silent tears rolled down her face, as the voice of her strong hunter reached her ears. She hadn't noticed him getting up and picking white flowers. He carried them back over to Lizzie and handed them to her, as he scooped her up into his strong arms and settled them where he could cradle her like a father. Carol listened as he told Lizzie the story of the Cherokee rose and silently slipped his hunting knife out of his belt and watched as he pushed into the Lizzie's skull; ending her life quickly without any pain.

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A/N: I know it's sad but please don't hate me, next chapter will be back to our pissed off bear looking for his sweet angel. Please read review and enjoy.

Ashe.


	6. Reunited Pt 2

A/N: Hey everybody here's another update. Hope you all enjoy and leave me a review they make me smile. Next chapter will be all about Caryl.

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After Merle gutted the man and left him to turn he grabbed his backpack and headed out the door. He was just about to hit the road when he had an idea. He went to the shed and found some black spray paint that had been left by the previous owners. He took a few cans and primed them, he then spray painted the house. "DO NOT ENTER. KIDNAPPED BETH. MERLE." He knew that if any of the group found this place that it could be bad. They could take more of there group and then they would have no way to pick up the trail to him or Beth. Daryl could track him he knew that and he prayed that Rick had learned enough from him and his brother that he could pick of the trail. Merle's stomach clenched when he thought about what these people would do the Beth or Carol and what they would do to children like Carl. He knew he had to start tracking them as soon as possible. He headed off in the direction back toward the prison. Something in his gut told him that he would find something there.

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Beth was terrified the woman named Mary had told them that they were leaving at first light for a place called Terminus. She didn't like the sound of it. She had over heard them talking about selling her or eating her and she knew that she didn't want to go anywhere near the place. She knew that she could over power Mary but Nathan was another story. He was a large man about six foot six and weighed over two hundred pounds of solid muscle. He had dislocated her shoulder as easy as he could snap a twig. She would just have to wait and see what would happen. She prayed that Merle would find her and that she would be saved or if it was her time to go that it would be quick and she would be reunited with her mother and father and Judith. She almost longed to go die; it would be better than either thing that was planned for her for this group.

Mary had just radioed in to check and see what Gareth wanted her to do. He told her that they had enough food for awhile and that their buyer was looking for young women for his group and to take Beth to the holding cell next to the tracks but put her in one of the train cars so away from everyone else the one marked tradables. Mary was upset she was looking forward to craving up the young girl, she knew that her meat would be delicious and a treat; virgins were a rarity and she knew they made the most tender steaks. The only thing better than virgin meat was meat of a baby. She knew that she needed to go and get the girl.

"Were moving you to a location tonight." Mary said as she gave Beth some fresh fruit. "Where are you taking me?" Beth asked; glad that her voice stayed strong. The days of her showing weakness was over. "You will be placed in a holding cell then traded to a nice group of people for supplies." Mary said in her most kind voice that she could muster. "Traded?" Beth asked breathlessly. "Yes. We trade with a group called the Saviors. They provide us with guns and food and we provide them with people and goods that me make. They treat their people well child. I promise." Mary said. Knowing for well that she was trading her to a group of rapists and sadists.

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Merle stayed in the cover of the woods. He knew that he needed to find a walker and take it down and cover himself with gore. He had seen it work on Michonne and with her pets he knew that their smell repealed them. He waited in wait in a set of bushes waiting for a stray walker to come along. He didn't have to wait long. He lunged out at the walker and stabbed it in the brain stem. He then gutted the putrid thing and began to smear his body with its intestines. He fought back a wretch before continuing on his journey. He knew that he had to get to prison, maybe there would still be a car there that worked or even better his bike. It was hard to ride it one handed but he could manage if it meant finding his angel.

Merle made it back to the prison and fought his way inside. He went to his cell first and grabbed a few belongings that meant something to him, a picture that he had of his ma and Daryl when he was a baby. He then went to Hershel's cell; entering it felt like a knife in his heart. The old man had shown him great kindness when the others had be reluctant if not even cruel about letting him join the group and grabbed his Bible. When he found Beth he knew that she would want something to remember her father by and what better than the Good Book. Merle heard a noise a few cells down. He knew that was where Glenn and Maggie slept. He pulled his pistol and crept down the hall.

Glenn heard someone enter his cell; he whirled around with his gun drawn and pointed at Merle Dixon's head. He never thought he would be so happy to see anyone in his life. Before he could stop himself he grabbed the man that had almost beaten him to death and hugged him. "Fuck. Never been so happy to see a Chinaman in my life." Merle said with a roaring laugh. "Never thought I'd be happy to see a dirty redneck like you." Glenn responded with a smile. They started off on the wrong side but months at the prison and Merle almost getting himself killed by the Governor had ended their feud. "What brings you back to this God-forsaken hell hole." Merle asked. "Maggie and I got separated so I came back looking for her. You?" Glenn told the rough man. "I was hoping someone would have came back here. Beth was taking by a group and I'm looking for her." Glenn's stomach dropped. Beth was missing and he didn't know if Hershel or Maggie had made it out alive. "Hershel with you?" Glenn asked seeing the Bible in the man's hand.

Merle had never been good at giving good or bad news and he hated delivering this news. "The Governor cut his head and killed him." Merle said hanging his head in defeat. "There was nothing any of us could do to stop it." "God damn it." Glenn cursed. He didn't know if Maggie knew or not but he knew this would crush her. "We need to make a plan and head out. Find your wife my brother and sister and Beth." Merle said; giving the man something else to focus on beside his grief. Merle needed him if he was going to find his angel.

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Beth was terrified. She was tied back up and placed in the trunk of another car. She could tell that she was driving down a relative new road that was built soon before the end. Beth prayed hard. She had never been so terrified in all of her life. She didn't know what she was going to do. She knew that she needed to get away but Nathan was too big for her to take and she had a feeling that Mary was not the kind sweet woman that she acted. The car came to a stop and she was drug out. They lead her to a building where she could hear people banging on doors and yelling for help. Beth's heart sped up and she fought back her tears.

She heard metal doors open. They jerked off her blind fold and shoved her into a dark room and slammed the doors shut. Someone grabbed her into a bear hug. "Oh Bethy!" She heard her sister exclaim. Beth broke down in sobs in her big sister's arms. She looked around and she was in a train car full of women. Sasha was there and two other women that she didn't know. Her sister quickly introduced her to Rosita and Tara.


	7. The Burial

A/N: This chapter is all out our wonderful Caryl. This setting for this chapter comes from the weather that's currently raging outside my windows.

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Daryl and Tyresse sat to digging Mika and Lizzie's graves. Daryl was angry that he had failled to protect not one but two more children. Memories of Sophia came flooding back. He remembered looking for her in the woods, cutting open the walker that they had found to make sure that it didn't eat her, when in all reality it was probaly the monster that had bitten her. He remembered falling down the ravine and finding her doll. He remembered the anger that he directed at Carol and how in its own right had brought them together. Daryl dug harder and deeper. Tyresse didn't know what to do, he knew that things like this happened in this world but he was not equipped to handle them. He kept looking at Daryl and watching anger; as if it was something real and tangible stream out of the man. He looked over at Carol and saw the broken look on her face and tears that she refused to cry as she rocked and held Judith as if at any minute she would disappear from her arms. Thunder rumbled in the distance and lighting flashed off in the west. Light rain began to fall.

After several hours of digging and a storm raging around them they had finished digging the small graves that would hold to of the most precious members of their group. Children was a rare a thing to come by and the lose of them was even harder in this new unforgiveable world. Daryl wanted nothing more than to run off in the woods and watch the storm from a far, but he knew that his woman would need him. She had taken on the children as her own and he knew now that she would cling to Judith with everything she had. He loved the little girl too and he wanted nothing more than to curl up with his woman and his God-daughther and sleep.

"We're ready." Daryl said as he walked into the makeshift tent they had. Carol handed Judith to Daryl and stood up. He instantly curled his strong arm around Judith and wrapped the other around Carol. They walked in the storm to where Tyresse stood next to the two broken bodies of the children. Daryl handed Judith off to Carol as he went and picked up Mika and lowered her into her little grave and Tyresse did the same with Lizzie. "I ain't good with words or nothing." Daryl said as he sheepishly looked down and chewed on his thumb; a nevrous habit he had had since he was a young boy. "These two little girls were a part of our family but they now rest with the Great Spitit. They will meet us but until then they have been reunited with their mother and father and our other fallen family." Daryl spoke tears slowly breaking free from his eyes. Carol fought back a sob as the rain pounded down. She clutched Judith to her chest. She prayed that she would not fail the little girl in her arms as she had once failed her own daughter Sophia and the two little girls that was being laid to rest.

Carol walked back into the tent and begn to get ready for bed. "Can I come in?" She heard Tyresse's broken voice. "Yeah." Tyresse entered the tent; holding his head down. "Daryl is still standing next to their graves and the storm is really picking up." "Will you take Judith and I'll go try and talk to him." Carol said sighing. Tyresse took the little girl from Carol and headed back to his tent. He knew that Lizzie and Mika's deaths had effected both of them to the point that they were broken. He prayed that they would find the others soon, but he had a feeling that if and when they did that it would not be for the better. Their luck had never lasted and it probaly never would.

Carol walked up to the love of her life and wrapped her arms around him. She felt his body stiffen then relax, even after a little over a year together he still stiffened when she touched him but he no longer did he flinch. Soon sobs over took his body and Carol's sobs echoed his. "What if I never find my brother again?" Daryl said hoarsly. "I don't know." Carol had came to love Merle. He was rough and sometimes cruel, but he was family none the less. "If anyone has survived it was Merle. He's a Dixon like you remember?" Carol told him; trying to re-assure her mate that they would find the last of his blood alive and well. "I'm not that worried about Merle to be honset Woman. What if we never see Rick or Carl again? What if Jude never gets to know her father and brother?" Daryl asked sounding like a broken child. "If she never gets to see them than we will make sure that she knows them throught memories and and stories and we will raise that little girl like she was ours." Carol told him. Daryl turned in her arms and grabbed her in a strong embrace and pulled her to him and kissed her hard. Carol moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Daryl needed his woman in that moment; the only thing that could make the pain go away was making love to her. Daryl picked her up and carried her over to the nearest tree. He sat her down for a moment helping her out of her pants and panties as he released his hard cock from his pants. Normaly he would get her ready; she was tighter than anyone he had ever been with but he needed that moment. He picked her back up and shoved her into the tree and began to pounded into her; the tree digging into her back. Rain began to fall on the two broken lovers. Carol came hard around Daryl which drove him over the edge.

Daryl and Carol re-dressed. "Get some sleep woman; I'll take first watch and Tyresse can handle Jude for the night." Carol sighed she didn't sleep well away from the baby, but Daryl was right Tyresse had been the one to look out for her for the first week before they had found them. Carol crawled into her makeshift tent and laid down on her pillow and pulled Daryl's to her and cuddled it; tears feel freely down her checks. Their family was so broken. She remembered Sophia with clarity her blue eyes and blonde hair. Sophia would have loved Daryl and he would have been a wonderful father to her. Daryl loved kids and the way he was with Judith and Carl was amazing he had even treated Lizzie and Mika like he had know them forever accepted them. Carol cried for the lose of their family. Where was Beth, Maggie and Glenn did they know that their father was alive were the alive? Where was Sasha was she out there looking for her brother had Bob taking to being a drunk thinking that the third group to take him had fallen and died as well? Where was Rick and Carl were they grieving over not having Judith had they made it out of the prison alive? Michonne was the strong warrior woman looking for them or had she cut her ties to them completely forgoing people for the solidatrity of never getting hurt? Was Merle alive right now tracking them looking for his little or brother or had he joined band of murders and theives letting all the progress he had made go? Carol fell into a fitful sleep.

Daryl stayed close to the camp; thankful for the rain it cleared their scents from the area. He walked around in the woods until he found what he was looking for. He picked it up and carried it back to the camp. He knew that he would not be waking Tyresse for his turn at watch because it would take him all night to do what he wanted.

Carol woke the next morning bright and early and dressed for another day of moving and looking their family. When she stepped out and saw the girls' graves tears began to flood her eyes. Two crosses had been made and were wreathed in Cheorkee Roses and Daryl was singing an old Cherkoe tune over their graves.

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A/N: Sorry for the long update I have not abandoned this story. I recently got a better job and my little girl started school this year so real life has pulled me away from my stories, but I finally got a chance to update.


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